310 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



perceived by untrained eyes, it Vvas Linnaeus's work to 

 display and make manifest. It was also his delight. 

 ' Among the luxuries of the present age, the most 

 pure and unmixed is that afforded by collections of 

 natural productions.' 



We cannot be surprised that Linnaeus should feel 

 this strongly when we examine the plates just then 

 being prepared for the magnificent descriptive volume 

 which was published in 1754. This costly folio of 110 

 pages, entitled ' Museum Regis Adolphi Friderici,' de- 

 scribes the rare animals, birds, amphibia, and fish of the 

 king's collection in double columns, Latin and Swedish, 

 with fine careful plates, and other ornamental line en- 

 gravings of a fanciful character, in the fashion of the 

 time, with Cupids, like those Bartolozzi was so fond of 

 engraving, disporting among marvellous animals of un- 

 certain sort, with birds-of-paradise all tail, pyramids of 

 mongrel shape, and still more hybrid trees ; showing the 

 struggle art long held out against reality and nature. 

 Truth and grace were held as conflicting elements by the 

 wilful, obstinately prejudiced art of that day. Linnaeus 

 insisted upon accuracy in the plates relating to his 

 scientific descriptions ; the purely decorative prints he 

 resigned to fate, feeling that art had mysteries beyond 

 even his comprehension. There are thirty-three plates 

 of animals apes, serpents, the Chimera monstrosa, and 

 strange fishes all accurately portrayed, illustrating the 

 ninety-five folio pages of double-columned letterpress. 

 These were looked upon as diagrams ; the fancy pictures 



